98th Guards Airborne Division

First exercises in 2019 for paratroopers from Kostroma and Ivanovo, January 16, 2019. Although not formerly identified, this would indicate that the paratroopers are from the 98th Guards Airborne Division, which has regiments in both Kostromo and Ivanovo. According to unverified supporting information, paratroopers from the 98th Airborne Division were loaded onto Ilyushin IL-76 transport aircraft at Ivanovo-Severny airfield (the city of Ivanovo) for delivery to the drop zone at Budihino (Kostroma Region). More than 800 paratroops took part in the exercise using the D-10 parachute system from a height of 600-800 meters.

Military Units Featured

98th Guards Airborne Division

The 98th Guards Airborne Division is an airborne division of the Russian Airborne Troops, stationed in Ivanovo. It comprises: 217th Guards Airborne Regiment (Ivanovo); 331st Guards Airborne Regiment (Kostroma); 1065th Guards Artillery Regiment (Kostroma); 318th Air Defence Battalion (Ivanovo); 661st Engineer Battalion (Ivanovo); 674th Signal Battalion (Ivanovo); 15th Maintenance Battalion (Ivanovo); 243rd Military Transport Aviation Squadron (Ivanovo).

Military Equipment Featured

Ilyushin IL-76 (Candid)

The Ilyushin Il-76 (Russian: Илью́шин Ил-76; NATO reporting name: Candid) is a multi-purpose four-engine turbofan strategic airlifter designed by the Soviet Union’s Ilyushin design bureau. It was first planned as a commercial freighter in 1967, as a replacement for the Antonov An-12. It was designed to deliver heavy machinery to remote, poorly served areas. Military versions of the Il-76 have been widely used in Europe, Asia and Africa, including use as an aerial refueling tanker or command centre.

D-10 Assault Parachute System

The assault parachute system D-10 is designed for conducting of jumps from military transport aircraft and helicopters by the paratroopers of all specialties with or without personal equipment sets as well as solo and group jumps. The main parachute has non-flat circular canopy with aerodynamic profile along the bottom edge with area of 100 m2 and is tested for reliable operation at the altitude in a range from 200 up to 4,000 m (at speed 140-400 km/h).

Photographer

Konstantin Yemchenko. Copyright Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation. Used under licence.